The challenges of providing sexuality education for people with disabilities

There are many barriers –both structural and attitudinal –to the implementation of comprehensive sexuality education, whether in schools or for adult populations. These barriers are compounded when the target audience is people with disabilities. Reluctance to address sexuality issues can stem from the assumption that a person with an intellectual disability is child-like and has no interest in sex or need for education.

Discomfort on the part of care-givers can result in sexuality needs being ignored and evidence of sexual frustration being dismissed as ‘challenging behaviour’. Education is often provided too late, in an attempt to deal with problematic sexual behaviours. This presentation will look at the challenges of providing sexuality education for people with disabilities and the importance of continued advocacy in this area.